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I Love Fried Chicken in the Morning
There's no wrong time of day to eat fried chicken. Especially when that fried chicken is covered in hot sauce and sandwiched between a luscious biscuit by way of Pies-N-Thighs in Williamsburg...
Last month we hit up Pies-N-Thighs for brunch and I came down with a case of "order envy." The Pork Hash I ordered was good, but the Chicken Biscuit ($5) that Lawman and Lawman-in-law shared was awesome. The chicken cutlet was nice and spicy from the hot sauce and resting between chicken patty and biscuit topper, was a pat of honey butter that would make Paula Deen proud. It was so good that when we went back for brunch this weekend, I made it my order. And I'd gladly order it again. And again. And again.
Pies-N-Thighs
166 S 4th St
Brooklyn NY 11211
(347) 529-6090
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Advantage Shake Shack Facebook Page
If you don't "like" the Shake Shack-Official Page on Facebook, and you should because I know you've got Facebook, than you're missing out on knowing the latest news in Shake Shack land. For example, you would have missed out on hearing about this past weekend's special Labor Day weekend only concrete! Thank God my phone's got the interwebs and I'm a bonafide Facebook addict.
Oh yes, during this past weekend, you could have gotten the special "Last Days of Summer" concrete at any of the Shacks. Vanilla custard, fresh banana slices, 'Nilla wafers, and a brown sugar caramel swirl. I went there, I did it, and I ate it while watching the US Open on AmEX's special screen in the uptown section of the Park. They said it was the ultimate banana pudding, and they weren't far off in that assessment. The 'Nilla wafers were basically thrown in whole which I sort of loved since it allowed me to do all the crushing, but I may have enjoyed the fresh banana more if it wasn't in slices rather than being mixed in. It's no replacement for some of the better banana puddings in the city, but if you wanted the baby of banana pudding and ice cream, this would have hit the spot. Maybe they'll bring it out again next year.
Shake Shack
Various Locations
www.shakeshacknyc.com
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Let's Act Like Summer's Not Over
This weekend is the end of Summer 2010, the hottest damn sauna in town. I'll miss this when my left foot is fallen into a bank of frozen dirty snow because heaven forbid offices have snow days when there's a blizzard out and the MTA is as good as a horse and buggy. But I digress. It'll be such a lovely weekend after the hurricane passes by. Because there's food to be had.
For me, Williamsburg and Governors Island will be the places to be. Williamsburg for Snout 'n' Stout Pig Roast. They're roasting whole hogs, to be served with a few different sauces and sides. Tickets are $15 for a plate of food. Now on Sunday, a load of food trucks will be hanging out on Governors Island for Parked. It's almost like a Vendys pre-game for me. Scheduled to attend are Red Hook Lobster Pound, Jamaican Dutchy, Van Leeuwen, and the Hallo Berlin replacement table (or if we wish really hard, the MIA cart!) The ferry's free, you pay for the food.
If that's not enough for you, get thy to Astoria and one of the bars I never patronized while I was there, Hell Gate Social. From 2pm-4am, they'll be showing movies, making BBQ, and what's more American than a good old-fashioned pie-eating contest. Brownie could probably win that in a heartbeat.
Snout n' Stout
50 N. 3rd, btn Wythe & Kent
Saturday, 6pm-10pm
meanredproductions.com/2297
Parked
Colonel's Row, Governors Island
Sunday, Noon-5pm
meanredproductions.com/2368
Labor Day BBQ and Pie Eating Contest at Hell Gate Social
12-21 Astoria Blvd.
Sunday, 2pm-4am
hellgatesocial.com
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B&B PSA: It's Time to Avoid the Village
They're baaaaaack! The end of August means move-in time at NYU. Freshman got access to the dorms this weekend and upperclassmen will be returning throughout the week. Now that I have the perspective of a long since graduated Fighting Violet, I realize that NYU kiddos can be kind of hard to take especially en mass. That's why for your sanity, I've compiled a little list of spots to avoid during this move-in time and the immediate aftermath...
A few years back I made the mistake of going to the Union Square Trader Joe's (aka the only TJ's in the city at the time) on the last Monday in August. Yes, I know the cardinal rule of shopping at the Trader is don't go Monday night after work when everyone is scrambling to grab some sort of sustenance to stock their pantries after a weekend of dining out. Nonetheless I was out of bread and milk and cereal and chocolate, so I decided to just suck it up and deal. When I got to the Trader I immediately noticed that the store was strikingly barren--even for a Monday night. There was exactly one box of cereal left. No milk. No bread. No chips. Not much beer. A few stray boxes of cookies. The staff looked shell shocked. "What happened?" I asked. "NYU." NYU.
Here's a list of the top places to avoid in the village during orientation week and frankly in the weeks that follow as the freshmen are relishing their freedom from mom and dad (read: getting wasted).
Let's start with NYU's "do it yourself Cheap Eats Walking Tour." This pdf guide is front and center on NYU's site with the welcome materials, so needless to say, any place listed in here is best avoided. For any of you NYU kids reading this, you won't be able to find Jamaican Flavors or BB Sandwich Shop. Both closed a few years ago.
*Trader Joe's: I think we covered this one. You will show up. There will be no food. This weekend will be especially terrible. Labor Day + upperclassmen returning = bad, bad time to go to the Trader.
*Republic: With their communal tables, pitchers of sangria, and waiters with touch pad ordering this Asian inspired noodle place on Union Square is very popular with the student set. It's also very loud and insanely crowded when school is in session. If you want good noodles, hit up Menchanko Tei in midtown or Zuzu Ramen in Brooklyn.
*Spice: Even when I was a wee Violet myself, I avoided Spice. I always heard it was good, though the jury seems to be out on that at yelp. Not sure if my friends were into it because of the food or because they are centrally located and take campus cash. In either case, they're always super crowded and their pumping electro soundtrack might give you bad flashbacks. If you want actually cheap Thai with a soundtrack but friendly service and few students, check out Song in Park Slope.
*Josie Woods: Fraternities at NYU...they really do exist! And you'll find them here at Josie Woods pounding $3.50 pints of Yuengling. Do I really need to say more?
*Red Bamboo: Ok, I love Red Bamboo. This is one place that I still go to for their awesome vegetarian buffalo wings with soy blue cheese sauce (yes, it's a freak of nature, but I don't argue with something that tasty). RB is a tiny place and they won't seat you unless your entire party is there. With NYU's large veg crowd, expect lines (especially since this is on that Cheap Eats list). Those buffalo wings are worth it though.
*Maoz: Thought the line was bad during the summer? There are a handful of dorms housing thousands of students within a few blocks of Maoz. Everyone loves falafel and NYU student will be lured by their "free toppings" bar. Watch out for double dippers! Avoid! Avoid!
*Magnolia Bakery: "OMG! This is like where Carrie and Samantha and Miranda, and Charlotte got cupcakes. OMG! We have to go. OMG! They're open late! OMG!" So many reasons to avoid, unless you are a fan of surly service and overly dry cupcakes with cloyingly sweet frosting, this is a skip for sure.
*St. Mark's Place: There will be students getting tattoos and buying cheap sunglasses and band t-shirts and eating expensive chain burritos, best to avoid this strip all together.
The return of the NYU students and the start of the fall semester does however mean that campus dining is reopening, which means, Chick-fil-a! The only one in the entire city is in the Weinstein Food Court. They didn't have a Chick-fil-a back when I was a Violet. The best we got was Burger King and Pizza Hut. Not that I'm bitter. Ok, maybe I am a little bitter...
*If there are any NYU kids out there reading this, I used to be one of you. When you get some distance from your time at NYU, you too will realize how annoying the student body is to the rest of the city. So try to be a good neighbor, enjoy your time at school, and get the most out of it--this means getting a couple internships under your belt before your graduate. Your parents aren't paying good money for you not to take advantage of the city and to move home with them after you finish college. And though there are a lot of bitter NYU alums out there, we take care of our own, so I look forward to welcoming you to the NYU mafia in 4 years.
Got suggestions of where to go or where to avoid? Leave 'em in the comments!
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Travels with Brownie: Peach Ice Cream and the Taste of Summer at Mt. Desert Is. Ice Cream in Portland, ME
Blondie's not the only one whose been doing a little traveling lately. This past weekend I was up in Portland, Maine and was fortunate to 1) find a parking spot in the Old Port and 2) to discover that said parking spot was right across the street from Portland's relatively new ice cream shop, Mt. Desert Is. Ice Cream. Fearless flavors? Yes, please!
Mt. Desert Island itself is home to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert Is. Ice Cream, founded in 2005, has 2 shops out in Bar Harbor. They opened their Portland shop in late May and have been doing gangbuster business (especially ever since they got a visit from ice cream-lover-in-chief and his family back in July).
What attracted me most to the shop was their tagline, "fearless flavor." Lawman is an unabashed ice cream lover. He calls it the most perfect food in the world. While I like ice cream, I'm not quite as taken as he is, mainly because there are a lot of, well, kind of boring and overly sweet ice cream flavors out there. Such was not the case at Mt. Desert Is. where I spent a good 15 minutes trying to figure out what to order because everything looked so good. With exotic flavors like Avocado, Thai Chili, Caramelized Plantain, Bourbon Raisin, Blueberry Basil, and Nectarine Prosecco to name just a few, there was much to consider on their menu.
For all of his ice cream love, Lawman actually choose to get double scoop of their Cucumber Lime and their Grapefruit sorbets. Sweet, tart and intensely refreshing, these were everything you'd want in a summer dessert.
I also tried their peach ice cream which was creamy with ample bits of peach mixed in. I had no idea that because of the water content, peach ice cream is really hard to do well and with the peaches being so good this year, you'll want to give this one a try.
Mt. Desert Is. has some of the very best ice cream (and sorbets) I've had in recent memory. I can't wait to make a return trip. Keep up with MDIIC's latest flavors via Facebook.
Mt. Desert Is. Ice Cream
51 Exchange St, Portland, ME 04101
207 210 3432
Open year round
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Travels with Blondie: The Sweet Side of San Francisco
I've told you about my pilgrimage to Bouchon HQ and the best tacos I've ever eaten, but what would a B&B adventure be without a little sweet dessert? It would be the end of the world. Lucky for us, I even ate dessert for breakfast.
Because bread pudding, by merely adding pudding to its name, is dessert in my world, even when it's dressed up with fruit. Yes, I went back to Tartine repeatedly. Yes, my love affair with their morning bun has grown stronger. On my first visit, I picked up a cup of breakfast bread pudding. Fruit is sustenance and all that. This spongy pudding topped with fresh fruit should be the breakfast of champions.
On another visit, I was wise enough to "borrow" a car to pick up some breakfast goodies. Having spied their dessert treats repeatedly by that point, I couldn't resist their siren call any longer. In addition to the morning bun, chocolate croissant, and bread pudding, I purchased one slice of Bavarian Cream Cake to go. While the cake part was just alright, the cream was OUTSTANDING, creamy, fluffy and light, not too sweet, and the perfect amount of vanilla. I ate it for breakfast-it's a dairy! There was fruit!
Now, I had hoped this would be a trip of ice cream; alas, the best laid schemes often go awry. I only hit up one of the many on my list, Bi-Rite Creamery for their Salted Caramel. I got mine with a top scoop of Brown Sugar with a Ginger Caramel Swirl. Sweet caramel mixed with saltiness and everything gets sweeter. This is the ice cream cup of 5 year old Blondie's dreams. The ginger swirled in gave it a nice little kick too. Brownie, I'll be back in November and you know you want to go!
Tartine Bakery
600 Guerrero Street (at 18th Street)
(415) 487-2600
www.tartinebakery.com
Bi-Rite Creamery
3692 18th Street (at Dolores St)
(415) 626-5600
www.biritecreamery.com
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Cookie Road's Tarty Peaches
For the past few weeks, I've been devoring the last of the summer's bounty: peaches. When the peaches (and corn) are done, summer's ov-ah. It helps that the tree-ripened peaches I've been getting at the market are superbly juicy and sweet within a day or two. There have definitely been a few perfect ones in the mix. And yet for some reason seeing peaches incorporated into delicious desserts aren't commonplace, so you can understand my excitement when I spied peach tart slices at Cookie Road!
Cookie Road is not just specialty hand painted cookies, though those do look good and if anyone would like to send me a set I wouldn't be adverse to it. No, Cookie Road is also a coffee shop/bakery. I was stopping by to try out their Iced Americano when I spotted the tray of flaky pastry topped with peaches and cream! Though the tart is most likely eons better when fresh, the late afternoon snack was way above average. Having a tart on light flaky pastry is an excellent idea for a summer treat, and the cream is the right complement especially as a means to pick up all the flakes. But what I liked most of all was the minimalist glaze on top of the juicy peaches. Unless a fruit tart is homemade, chances are it will be topped with glaze to keep the fruit from drying out. I don't mind it unless it's a thick layer of goop, and most times it's a thick layer of goop. This glaze was minimal, you notice it, but it doesn't take away from the fruit nor do you want to peel it off to enjoy your dessert. With that accomplishment, Cookie Road is now high on my Greenpoint list!
Cookie Road
94 Franklin St (storefront is actually on Oak St)
(718) 383-8094
www.cookieroad.com
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Plum Crumble from Four and Twenty Blackbirds
My name is Brownie and I have a pie addiction. If loving pie is wrong...well, I don't want to be right. When I need my pie fix, I generally head to Four and Twenty Blackbirds...
It's only been in recent years that I've come into my pie love. As a kid I pretty much never ate double crusted pie because frankly, most crusts are not so tasty. Little Brownie favored pie with crumb topping, which I suppose is technically called a crumble. A few weeks back when I saw that Four and Twenty Blackbirds was doing a Plum Crumble, I couldn't resist.
This was my first experience trying their crumbly topping and it doesn't disappoint. Toothsome oats and just the right amount of spices, brown sugar and butter make this a tasty topping. The plum filling was nicely spiced as well with a hint of port. The only trouble with pie at Four and Twenty Blackbirds is that one slice is never enough. I always want seconds...
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 Third Ave. at 8th St,
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-2917
Related Post on Four and Twenty Blackbirds:
Blackberry Apple Pie
Peach Pie
Apple Rhubarb and Chili Chocolate Pie
Grapefruit Custard
Apple Bourbon Farmer's Cheese and Salty Honey Pies
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Travels with Blondie: The Savory Side of San Francisco
Tacos! Mexican! Tacos! Horchata! Tacos! Those were the exact thoughts that went through my brain when I ate at La Taqueria. I'm sorry In-N-Out, this is my new first San Francisco meal, what I will be thinking about the entire plane ride over the red states. Mmmm, tacos.....
For my first La Taqueria trip, I went with the tried and true lengua along with a pork taco. And there was a total and complete conversion to the "New York doesn't have good cheap Mexican" camp. My entire meal cost less than most of my lunches, and it was so good. The meat was fresh, flavorful, and cooked to tender perfection. And you get a sweet amount of meat. My horchata was cinnamon rice deliciousness.
But if my first day in is a Saturday, I will be eating some chilaquiles first from Primavera in the back of the Saturday morning farmer's market at the Ferry Building. Yes, fried corn tortillas smothered in refried beans topped with eggs, cotija cheese, and fresh avocados. A bit spicy, a bit healthy, and yet super unhealthy, that's how I like my breakfasts on vacation. And being able to eat your breakfast while sitting on the bay or strolling through one of the best markets in the world can only make everything taste better.
Especially if that stroll ends up at Boccalone for a little meat cone action: two thin slices each of three different meats. Salty delicious piggy indeed. There's no other way to describe their meat, unless maybe melts in your mouth? It's some of the best meat I've ever tasted and I've eaten a lot of meat.
La Taqueria
2889 Mission St
San Francisco, CA
(415) 285-7117
Boccalone Salumeria
Ferry Building Marketplace
(415) 433-6500
boccalone723.corecommerce.com
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Gimme, Gimme, Gimme S'mo
Though I hate to admit it, at times I can be a bit predictable. Show me a dish that includes pork, mac & cheese, or crispy onions and you'd caught my attention. Show me a dish with all three and that's my lunch...
This is the glory of the S'mo ($15)--bbq pork (make mine hot!), mac & cheese and crisp onions on a sandwich. In the pantheon of sandwiches, this ranks up their with the Mo'betta, a sinful maple bacon and egg sandwich on mac and cheese pancakes.I'd have seconds of either...
Shopsin's
Essex Street Market
120 Essex Street
New York, NY 10002
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Travels with Blondie: Heading to Bouchon Headquarters
Yay for San Francisco! I needed a break from the abysmal heat, and what's a better idea than to head to those having the coldest summer on record. But I couldn't spend the entire time in the cold and fog, oh no. I jumped at the chance to head up to Napa, and to one of the best bakeries, the original Bouchon. Sweet love in heaven, I've found where I belong!
I now understand the obsession with Napa and Northern California. It's f'ing gorgeous, and I had some pretty good wine while I was there. So after boozing our way through an afternoon, my beautiful cousin and I headed into "town" to get some cookies! The interior of the original Bouchon Bakery is all dark wood and gold fixtures, and you can smell the bread baking in the back even during the afternoon. We decided to get a baguette, some cookies, and a corn muffin. The baguette was too die for! This definitely is at the top of the list of bread I've had outside of France, crusty outside, but soft and fluffy inside.
For the cookies, I HAD to get the TKO, and this was markedly better than the ones in New York. The dark chocolate cookie was fresh, buttery, and crumbly, while the white chocolate filling was sweet enough to complement the cookie perfectly. This is how a TKO should taste! The oatmeal cookie was chewy and delicious, not over-spiced like some, and really chockful of oats. If you're not a chocolate lover, this could be the way to go.
As for the macaron, another must item in my book, I went seasonal, the blueberries and cream. Blueberry outside cookie-nutty almond smoothness-with the cream filling protecting a blueberry ring. What!
Crazy talk! The macaron was done right with my bites leading to crunchy crumbling into the chewy insides, and the blueberry flavor really came through. Not subtle, but not overwhelming or artificial tasting. I don't know if it's because of the setting or the fact I was on vacation, but everything that I tried here tasted much better than the ones I get in New York. No wonder it's an institution.
Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington St
Yountville, CA
(707) 944-2253
www.bouchonbakery.com
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A Three Course Bacon Brunch Can't be Wrong
I've known about and passed by Sage General Store in Long Island City for a while now, but never had the chance to go there for food. A few weeks back I saw that they were doing a Bacon Brunch: three courses designed for bacon overload. I had to do it. Yesterday, I got my chance.
The first course consists of a bacon tasting: Wisconsin's Nueske’s applewood smoked, Indiana's Dewigs slab, and Texas's “Ham I Am” pepper bacon, a bacon cheddar scone, and some Bacon Marmalade. All were delicious, though I preferred the applewood smoked and Dewigs slab as I found the pepper coating to be a bit overpowering. What I really loved from this was the perfectly done scone especially when it was dipped in the Marmalade. It gave it just the right amount of moistness and sweet with the savory bacon taste. It's a delicious heart attack disguised as breakfast. Who am I kidding, this whole meal is a delicious heart attack disguised as brunch.
For the second course you choose from the BLT, the grilled cheese, the mac & cheese, or the breakfast pizza. Seeing as this really was my breakfast at 2 in the afternoon, I went with the pizza while my friend choose the grilled cheese. The pizza is topped by the Nueske's with carmelized onions, ricotta, and crème fraiche. And yes, as my pizza was waiting for its close-up, my camera decided to act up. Hence, the cellphone pictures. Stupid camera. Anyway, the pizza was awesome-the ricotta and crème fraiche with the bacon reminded me A LOT of the mashed potato pizza in New Haven. The crust was doughy enough, while thin and crispy, but lacked in the bottom char I've come to love. Everything together was salty goodness and exactly what my hangover needed. As far as the grilled cheese-jack, Vermont cheddar, and gruyere with the pepper bacon-it's a cheesy delightfully overflowing sandwich. I definitely need to get one soon.
The final course is dessert, a double chocolate bacon brownie with Jack Daniels whipped cream. This brownie is definitely one of the best out there. It's fudgy, chewy, and chocolaty to the max, one half is really all anyone needs. And you see those pieces on top, that would be bacon. I was hesitant about the whipped cream, but the whiskey is blended in well so it's not overwhelming the fluffy cream. Salty mixed with sweet never gets old, and bacon mixed with chocolate is my new cure-all. If Brownie's lucky, she can get the half I saved for her.
Sage General Store
24-20 Jackson Avenue
Long Island City, Queens
(718) 361-0707
www.sagegeneralstore.com
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Mimi's Moroccan Pancakes Rock the Casbah
I've said it before, but it's worth repeating that Mimi's Hummus in Ditmas Park makes a fantastic brunch. Of all the brunch trips I've made to Mimi's I've always been intrigued by their Moroccan Pancakes but ultimately distracted by their delicious hummus and egg dishes. Well, recently I bit the bullet and ordered up some pancakes and I'm glad I did...
You might have noticed that I've been on a pancake kick (mac & cheese pancake sandwich anyone?) and Mimi's pancakes are their own brand of unique. Made with semolina they are some how simultaneously dense yet light. Soaked in just the right amount of honey and topped with strawberries they made for a heavenly breakfast. I won't overlook these pancakes again.
Mimi's Hummus
1209 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 284-4444
Open Mon-Thurs: 12pm-10:30pm
Fri 12pm-11pm
Sat 11am-11pm
Sun 11am-10:30pm
Weekend brunch, Saturday and Sunday: 11:00am until 4:00pm
For more Mimi's brunch photos, check out our flickr set.
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Ice Cream and Tomatoes, or It's the End of Summer
The first crops of apples are appearing at the markets like a death knell for summer days, so what better way to celebrate the end of heat, humidity, and sun than to gorge yourself on ice cream and tomatoes? I can't think of another way and I really should because I've been on vacation, you'll see the ridiculous that was my diet next week. Lucky for me, New Amsterdam Market is celebrating both delicious ice cream and juicy tomatoes this Sunday!
For $20, you can try ice cream and sorbet from some of our area's most fabulous ice cream people including MilkMade and The Bent Spoon! One ticket allows a tasting of six cups or cones with flavors of your choosing. That's from noon to 4pm. From noon to 3pm, you can taste tomato dishes from chefs from New York City's Food Systems Network including Chef Meg Grace from The Redhead. That $20 ticket will be benefiting FSNYC. But wait, there's more! If you want to do both, and you want to do both, you can for $35. An afternoon of savory and sweet, to be eaten at your leisure. Buy tickets for both by clicking here. Now, you can just always show up to eat good food and buy some for home. I recommend it.
New Amsterdam Market will be happening this Sunday, August 22 from 11am to 4pm.
New Amsterdam Market
South Street between Beekman and Peck Slip
www.newamsterdammarket.org
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'Tis the Season to Eat: Blackberries...Blackberry Apple Pie from Four & Twenty Blackbirds
Four & Twenty Blackbirds is making a name for themselves with their seasonal pie offerings. I seriously haven't had slice of pie there that I would turn away...
Lawman loves blackberries and while I find them pleasant, I'm not over the moon for them. But when I saw on their Facebook page that they were serving up apple blackberry pie with "the best darn blackberries in the state, from Wilklow Orchards" I knew I had to get a slice for my man. Fortunately he's good at sharing because it was delicious. Sweet yet tart, with a flaky and tender crust, this is another winner!
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
439 Third Ave. at 8th St,
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-2917
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'Tis the Season to Eat: Peaches...in Cobbler Form
The peaches this season have been phenomenal. They are lovely in pie and equally delicious in cobbler form especially when that cobbler is from Pies -n- Thighs...
Any excuse to eat more luscious, buttery biscuits from Pies -n- Thighs is most welcome. And when those biscuits are being sandwiched by peaches and homemade whipped cream...so much the better.
Pies -n- Thighs
166 S.4th Street
Brooklyn NY 11211
Follow them on the twitter @piesnthighs
For delivery call 347-529-6090
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Greenpoint Vendors Visiting Gowanus
The weekend may have just ended, but that's no reason to not think about the upcoming one. This Saturday, the folks behind the now defunct BKLYN Yard are throwing an Asobi Seksu show right across the street from their former home. What's this have to do with food? Well, they're bringing in another defunct group, the Greenpoint Food Market vendors. This totally sounds like the way you want to spend your Saturday evening.
BKLYN Yard and the Greenpoint Food Market both went kaput right before I planned on visiting, so when I heard about this show, my eyes opened wide. And the menu looks awesome: Asian-style falafel, Korean BBQ, empanadas, tostadas, pecan pie, green tea ice cream, with still more to come. The doors open this Saturday at 6pm and advanced tickets are only $15-to get yours, click here.
Asobi Seksu and Greenpoint Food Market, Saturday, August 21st
383 Carroll St
Brooklyn
meanredproductions.com/2141
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It's Time Again for the Food Event Brownie's Been Waiting for All Year...
I can't believe it's already the second week in August! While I'm sad to see the summer slipping away, I can't help but be excited for this weekend's 15th Annual Fun Fair at the Myanmar Baptist Church in Queens...
What's the big deal? Well, for starters let's consider Myanmar's geographic location, shall we? Myanmar is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest. As you can imagine there are all sorts of interesting influences in Burmese cuisine.
Bring cash and your appetite. Food tickets are $1 each and different dishes have different ticket prices. They are also will be selling Raffle Tickets to benefit Myanmar Cyclone Relief.
Here are some of my favorites from last year:
Mmmmmm...noodles...
The spring rolls were light and refreshing...
Pickled mustard greens. Hello, delicious...
One of the most popular dishes at the fair by far is the fresh fried paratha bread. If you want to give it a try you'd best put your name on the list when you first arrive. You have to pay in advance and get a ticket to reserve your spot. Each bread is made to order so the wait is LONG.
The first year we went we put in our order and ended up giving away our ticket because we had to go before our bread was ready. As (bad) luck would have it our number was called just as we were leaving. Last year we put in our order first thing and had no trouble getting our bread without too arduous a wait.
While most of the fair's attendees are Burmese, the church members were an enormously welcoming group of people. Last year the Pastor of the church came over to say hello and sat with us for a bit talking about the food and the event itself.
The event has been growing in popularity with food lovers from all backgrounds and last year I noticed that they outfitted the tables with illustrated signs in English with photos of the dishes.
Date: Saturday, August 14, 2010
Time: 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Location: 143-55 84th Drive
Briarwood, NY 11435
(Former site of Myanmar Baptist Church-NY)
~Directions by Subway
~Take F train, get off at VanWyck Blvd station.
Use North exit stairways on side of Police
Station. Look for 84th Drive on Queens Blvd.
(There is Dunkin Donuts at the corner of 84th
Drive and Queens Blvd.). Walk about 10
minutes along 84th Drive. You will see the
Church on your left.
~ By Car - Take Grand Central Parkway(East), get
off at Exit-16 (Parsons Blvd), make immediate
right tum at 150th St. Go about 3 short blocks
and turn right to 84th Drive. Go straight for 2
short blocks and you will see the Church at the
corner of 84tn Drive and Smedley St.
For more pictures from previous fairs check out this slideshow:
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Does Your Brunch Come With a Banana?
Last Sunday morning was rough-in at 4am and up again at 8am thanks to my circadian rhythms. Due to an upcoming trip, I haven't been buying a lot of groceries and I was in desperate need of sustenance. Then I remembered when Brownie and Lawman had visited me for brunch way back when, we'd hit up Cafecito Bogota for some Colombian delicousness. An arepa, eggs, banana, and good strong coffee seemed like just the right way to go.
This time around I chose the Eggs Bolivarianos: an arepa covered with salchichón (Colombian sausage), two poached eggs, and homemade Maracuyá (Passion Fruit) sauce. It's sounds a little crazy, but I found the sauce similar in creaminess to Hollandaise, and when you got a bite with everything it was definitely better than the sum of its parts. It helped that one of my eggs was PERFECTLY poached-even in some of the best places, poaching is hit or miss. Having one of my favorite fruits, a just ripe banana, can only help matters (and your hangover.)
No brunch is complete without a little hair of the dog, mine came as a Refajo: Colombian soda and beer. Yes, soda and beer. It's interesting, not a drink I could have often. The soda is very sweet, but bitterness of the beer tends to level it out a bit. It reminded me of a hard punch or cider. Cafecito Bogota's brunch is $12.50 before 11am or $14.50 after.
Cafecito Bogota
1015 Manhattan Avenue (at Green St.)
(718) 569-0077
www.cafecitobogota.com
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The 2010 Vendy Noms Are Out!
The 2010 Vendy Nominations are out and there are some old favorites as well as newbies. One thing's for sure, we CAN NOT WAIT for September...
Yesterday the finalists for the 2010 Vendy Awards were announced on TONY’s Feed Blog
and last year’s “Rookie of the Year” Vendy Award winner Schnitzel & Things is back in the mix this time competing for the Vendy's Cup along with El Rey del Sabor, The Bistro Truck, Freddie “The Falafel King” of Astoria, and the Patacon Pisao truck. You can "meet" all the finalists in some fantastic videos on Food Curated.
Here's the drill...the big day is September 25th from 12pm to 5pm on Governors Island (!). Tix are $85 and the money goes to benefit the Street Vendor Project and a portion of the ticket is tax deductible. For the price of your ticket you get an open bar of wine, beer and soda and all you can eat from the five finalists. Plus you get to cast your vote for the People's Choice Award.
If you need a reminder about how excellent the Vendy's are, check out our coverage from 2008 (part 1 and part 2)and 2009.
The Vendy's always sell out, so what are you waiting for? Get your tickets now!
And keep track of all the Vendy news via @vendyawards.
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